The National tribune., 1887-09-01
NEW HOPE CHURCH,
And the Other Fierce engagements I'm that We
Guilty.

Guilty.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: There is still
much controversy aud misunderstanding in
regard 10 the time and the troops engaged at
the hattie Of New Hope Church, Ga which
some call Picketts Mills. Others Dallas, Others
Pumpkin Vine Creek 1 think the whole tr0u-
BILE Is that comrades get different battles fought
on different dates mixed together. simply be-
cause they were fought within a few miles Of
each other. Some Of the comrades seem 20
think that the battle of the 18th of May, 1854,
was a small AFFAIR, and the only battle Of New
Hope Church w8s fought on the 9th Of May,
while others claim shat the battle Of New Hope
Church, or Dallas was fought on the 25th Of
May.
] claim that there were three distinct and
separate battles fought in that vicinity-viz.,
the batle Of New Hope Church on May p,
lickett's Mills on May ~, and Dallas on May
p. The battle Of New Hope Church proper
was fought by Hookcr's (Twentieth) Corps, and
mainly by Milliams's Division First of that
corps. The battle was begun by Geary's (Sec-
ond) Division driving in the rebel pckets at
Pumpkin Vine Creek, near Owens Mills, on
the afternoon OF May %. Geary pushed the
enemy ncr0ss the creek, but on reaching the
other side found that the rebels greatly out
numbered him. He bravely held his position
until the remainder of the corps was brought
10 his relief
The First Division, under Gen. Williams
was at that time well advanced on its march
toward Dallas, but was halted on the road,
about faced, ordered TO "load at will" aud
marched back, left in 'front.'" TO the support
of Geary. We crossed the creek at Owens
Mills aud formed on Goarys right about
O'Clock p. m. BGtterfeld's (Third) Division
also arrived about the same time. The First
Division formed in columns of brigades and
advanced to the attack at double-quick, and as
desperate fighting AS was ever done in any
war was done there that May afternoon. The
enemys position was simply impregnable. His
lines were formed on ridge in dense wood,
with strong eaTthwOrks thrown up and the
whole front protected by a row Of stakes driven
in the ground, with the upper end sharpened
and pointed outward, like a line Of bayonets.
His artillery was masked by shrubbery, and
opened on our men with canister when our
line was so close that the embrasures of their
batteries were in plain sight and only few
rods of.
1t seems that Gen. Johnston had the works
at tins place laid out and built long before he
was called upon 10 occupy them. think Gen.
Hooker had no idea of the strength Of the
works, or he would not have persisted in his
efforts TO break their line. We charged up
close TO the works, and although unable 90
penetrate, we held our position, pouring yolley
after Volley into the rebel works until our am
munition was exhausted aud darkness closed
over the field. A heavy thunderstorm came
mp about this time, and the rain fell in tor
rents. As soon as il began 10 get dark the
firing gradually ceased.
Our losses i'm this battle were very heavy.
The brigade TO which nv regiment belonged
was composed of the following regiments Sd
Wis, I'd Mass, 18th n. j., 9th Ind. and 10th
n. Y. There were regiments in that brigade
who fought with Mcclellan at Malvern Hill,
with Pope at Cedar Mountain. with Banks at
Winchester, with Hooker at Charlottesville
and with Meade at Gettysburg, whose records
will show that they lost more men at New Hope
Church, for the time engaged. than in any
other battle. so IL was not such a small affair
after all. My own regiment ll01th N. ", out
OF little more than 300 men, lost 43 killed
and l32 wounded; and i understood that the
other regiments Of the brigade suffered in about
the same proportion.
The Fourth Corps under Howard, was sent
TO the relief OF Hooker, and formed its line of
battle in the rear Of the Twentieth Corps a
little before dark. At that time the writer
OF this was lying on the ground, wounded,
and was an eyewitness to the beautiful man
ner In which the troops Of the Fourth Corps
came into position. Although in the rear of
Rockers Corps, they were under heavy fire
from the enemys artillery, but formed their
lines with as much GOODNESS as il on dress pa
rade, although men were falling fast in their
i@hhh Aboub Nhe bllhe they were ready lot
action II was getting dark, and the battle of
New Hope Church was ended.
They were moved farther TO the left that
night, and j understand that they were the
troops Fourth Corps that fought the battle of
Pickett's Mills on the 9th of May, this being
four or five miles from the New Hope Church
battle-ground. i always understood that Lo-
gan's Fifteenth Corps fought the battle of Dali
las on May p. which is quite a distance from
either the Pickett's Mills or New Hope Church
battlehelds. Now, i don't know what troops
fought the battle of Pickett's Mills, but always
understood that il was fought by the Fourth
and part of the Fourteenth Corps, and that
Logan fought the battle of Dallas; but do
know that Joe Rockers Twentieth Corps fought
the battle of New Hope Church, and that there
was some " tall fighting" done there.-THos.
GILMORE, Co. j, 10th N. Y, Harrison, Ill.